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A 12-year-old schoolgirl from Carinthia stole a friend's father's debit card and went on a spending spree, racking up purchases amounting to several thousand euros.

The girl had observed the 37-year-old father of a classmate using his debit card to pay for a meal in a restaurant, and had memorised his pin number.

In September she managed to steal his bank card and used it to buy games consoles, clothing, and expensive presents for her friends, the Heute newspaper reports.

Police said she used the card on 11 occasions in the City Arkaden shopping centre in Klagenfurt, spending a total of several thousand euros. Her parents didn’t realise anything was going on as she kept her purchased items well hidden.

The 37-year-old man didn’t realise his card had been stolen until his bank blocked his account.